Locator assemblies are often used in gauges or fixtures at specific locations to guide or otherwise locate a part to be checked on the fixture in order that it is assured that the part is resting properly on the fixture so that an accurate check can be made of dimensional variations. For example, tubular parts, such as gas lines, being manufactured in high volume contain various bends and features which are checked by placing the tubes on a conventional gauging fixture which is often made up of a number of gauge blocks stationarily secured on a gauge base. Alignment and tolerance marks are formed on the gauge blocks so that when the tube is placed on the gauge fixture, an operator can visually determine whether the features of the tube are within tolerance and meet the reference standard defined by the gauge. The manufacturing tolerance permitted in the parts is reflected in the gauging fixture. Consequently, it is important that the part to be checked lies in a proper, pre-selected attitude on the gauge fixture. In order to accomplish this, locator pins are often used, for example at points on the gauge where the ends of the tubes are disposed. The locator pins are mounted and positioned such that they engage either one or both ends of the tube.
In the past, such locator pin assemblies typically form an integral part of the gauge and therefore must be custom manufactured to suit the geometry of the particular gauge which is built to check a corresponding, particular part. Consequently, prior locator and assemblies are relatively expensive to manufacture since they are often unique to the particular gauge on which they are mounted.
Another problem with prior art locator assemblies is that the locator pins used therein are not freely movable in a plane perpendicular to their longitudinal axis so that the pin can be precisely axially aligned with the central axis of the tube.
It would therefor be desirable to provide a locator assembly of the type employing a pin to locate a part on a gauging fixture, which has universal application on multiple types of gauging fixtures, which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture, and which permits rapid, easy alignment of the locator pin with the central axis of the tube to be checked.